Mercury’s owner invests big in battery technology
Brunswick Corp, which owns Mercury, has bought a battery-making business that will help power it into the futureBrunswick Corporation, the US marine industry giant that makes Mercury and MerCruiser engines, has bought a lightweight battery maker to help it plan for its future.
The company announced last week that it had bought lithium-ion battery maker RELiON Battery as part of its NextWave strategy that maps out how it will build its future boats and boating products.
It also used the announcement to reveal it would open a new electrification technology centre at its Michigan-based headquarters to drive electrical systems innovation.
“Brunswick’s Advanced Systems Group continues to drive widespread adoption of lithium-ion battery and power management systems in both marine and mobile markets,” Brunswick chief executive Dave Foulkes said.
“The addition of RELiON to our portfolio reinforces our position as a leading supplier of lithium batteries for RV and recreational boating.
“In addition, the formation of our new technology centre will meaningfully advance our high-voltage electrical systems capabilities,” he said.
Kayaks to cruisers
RELiON already supplies deep-cycle lithium iron phosphate battery systems for the recreational boating industry, powering everything from kayaks up to shore power-recharged power banks for sports yachts.
Brunswick has already hinted at how the new battery maker could help it meet future product needs, unveiling the Sea Ray SLX-R 400E Outboard at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in the US in 2019.
The boat differs from every other Sea Ray product in that instead of having an onboard generator to run all the boat’s accessory systems such as entertainment and airconditioning, it instead taps batteries to provide the stored power needed to run them.
Brunswick’s Fathom e-Power system, displayed at CES as a concept, included a high-capacity lightweight lithium-ion battery pack with an intuitive power management system.
According to Brunswick, the Fathom e-Power system could provide boaters with “a convenient, smart way to enjoy all of the features of the boat, for a longer, quieter and more eco-friendly day on the water”.
While the battery technology hints at boats with smarter onboard electrical systems, it seems that for now, the brand’s outboard and inboard engines will remain firmly fossil- rather than electron-fuelled for the foreseeable future.
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